Pratik Gandhi: Our historical heritage is so powerful

Mumbai, Aug 20 (IANS) From "Scam 1992 – The Harshad Mehta Story" to "Phule", "Saare Jahan Se Accha", and "Gandhi", actor Pratik Gandhi has talked about his affinity for period films and series.

“I am thinking that I have worked on similar stories in theatre as well. Because our historical heritage is so powerful. We have so many stories. So it is fun to explore all those stories. And if we are getting this opportunity, then why not?,” Pratik told IANS.

Asked what makes period films and series so popular among all ages, he said: “All these period dramas are fun to watch. Because we are actually seeing how people used to react in certain situations. And then draw parallels to your life… and actually, the gravitas, that was there earlier. But now it is getting faster. So it is nice to have some stop.”

“Saare Jahan Se Accha” follows the gripping journey of RAW agent Vishnu Shankar, who is assigned a dangerous mission deep inside Pakistan.

Set against the tense backdrop of the 1970s, a time when every strategic move risked igniting a global nuclear conflict, the show captures the fierce intelligence war between India’s RAW and Pakistan’s ISI.

The series also stars Pratik Gandhi, Suhail Nayyar, Kritika Kamra, Tillotama Shome, Rajat Kapoor, and Anup Soni.

Created by Gaurav Shukla and produced by Bombay Fables, with Bhavesh Mandalia as creative producer, “Saare Jahan Se Accha” will premiere ahead of Independence Day on August 13 on Netflix.

Talking about his upcoming series “Gandhi”, the biographical historical drama is created by Hansal Mehta.

The series depicts the life of Mahatma Gandhi, based on the books Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World by Ramachandra Guha. The series is planned to span three seasons.

Season one of the show follows Gandhi’s early life, starting in colonial India as a curious teenager, then as a shy law student in London, and finally as a young lawyer who spends 23 life-changing years in South Africa. The series will have its world premiere in the 'Primetime Programme' of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on 17 September 2025.

--IANS

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